Steam puff iron



May 26, 1942. A. J. WEBER ETAL STEAM PUFF IRON v Filed April 11, 1941 Summers.-

attorney.

Patented May 2.6, 1942 STEAM PUFF IRON .er Albert J. Weber and Collin P. McCracken,

' Los Angeles, Calif.

Application April 11, 1941, Serial No. 388,068

2 Claims.

It is an object of our invention to provide ay simple steam puff iron which may be manufactured and installed at relatively low cost without sacrice of the qualities of safety and effectiveness, but having advantages, as will 'be hereinf after pointed out, over the standard forms of steam puff irons now in use.

An object of the invention is to provide a steam pull" iron of simple and'inexpensive manufacture which is free from all danger of bursting even though it may beconnected to a steam supply pipe in which a relatively high pressure is maintained. A further object of our invention is to accomplish this desired result by heating the head of the 4puff iron through use of a steam tube of relatively small diameter disposed within the head of the puff iron in heat exchanging relation to the walls thereof. In ordinary practice (Cl. (iS-6) of pui iron construction, the puff-iron head of desired shape is cast from metal with a steam chamber therein. Very careful supervision of these castings must be maintained 'so as to minimize the danger of placing in service, exposed to high steam pressures, a puff ironfhead-h'aving flaws therein which will result in bursting ofthe head. In our invention the puff iron head may be cast from a metal of high heat conductivity but of little strength for the reason that the head is not exposed to the pressure of the steam employed to heat the same. This heat is carried to the walls of the head through a tube of relatively small diameter, for example, a copper tube having a bursting strength sufficient to resist steam pressure in excess of one thousand pounds per square inch, this tube being brought into a heat exchanging relation or contact with the wall of the puff iron head, preferably by soldering the tubeto the head so that there will be a direct and ample metal communication between the tube and the wall of the head. The high pressure steam is delivered into this tube and heat from the steam is transmitted from the tube directly to the walls of the pui iron head., relieving the head of steam pressure and thereby avoiding all danger of injury to workmen as a result of the bursting of the head.

A further object of the invention is to provide a puff iron head so constructed that during the steaming of a fabric by passage of live steam through the openings in the head to the fabric,

the possibility of delivering drops of water to the fabric is avoided. An object and feature of our invention resides in the employment of means within and associated with the puff. iron head for accumulating and revaporizing any condensation which may occur. within'the head.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a puff iron head which is hollow and has an opening at the lower part thereof, with a. tubular su-pporting member extending ydownwardly from the head, the upper portion of Athis tubular member communicating with the opening of the head, and the lower portion of the tubular member constituting a well or receptacle in which condensation may accumulate, and it is a further` object of l the invention to Vprovide within this hollow column or tubularv member .means for revaporizing any moisture which may accumulate in the well or receptacle formed thereby.

A further object of the invention is to provide a puff iron structure of the character set forth in the preceding paragraph, having ya steam tube extending through the well into the interior of the puff iron head, whereby steam which enters the ysteam tube may transmit heat to the walls of the puff iron head,I andvalve controlled means for delivering live steam into the interior of the puff iron head so that such live steam may pass through ports or openings in the puff iron head to the garment or fabric being iron. It is -a preferred practice of my invention, having advantages which will be referred to hereinafter, to deliver this live steam into the hollow column which supports the .puff iron head vso that the steam may pass upward therethrough into the cavity of the head and then through the discharge ports or openings of the head, and during this upward travel may freely separate from any condensation, thereby avoiding thepossibilityof drops of water being carried through the discharge ports or openings ofthe puff ironvhead to the fabric which is being ironed.

An especial feature of our invention is that it avoids the use of small and unreliable steam valves for control of the ow of steam through the discharge ports or openings of the puff iron head to the fabric., but instead makes possible the use of rugged valve means for this purpose.

Further objects and advantages of our invention will be brought out in the following parl; of the specification.

Referring to the drawing, which is for illusy trative purposes only:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a preferred form of our invention. Y

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view through l the puff iron head and its supporting column.

Fig. 3 is a cross section taken as indicated by y taken as indicated by sisi-l of upper and lower nipples I4 and I5 connected by a T fitting I6 to which a steam delivery duct or tube I1 is connected by means of a bushing I8. 2 Y l The lower vend of the nipple I is connected to of the head I0 in heat exchanging contact. preferably by application of solder as indicated at 34, Fig. 3, this solder being used onto the adjacent surfaces Vof the steam tube 26 and the wall of the head I0 so as to form a metal bridge between the steam tube 26 and the Wall of the head I0, through which heat from the tube 26 will be readily transmitted to the wall of the head. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, steam discharge ports or openings 35 of relatively small diameter are formed in the upper wall oi the .head IIJ, through which steam, without cona steam supply pipe by means of a suitable fitting such as an Velbow 2|,v and the steam .de-V livery tube I1, as shown inv Fig. 1, extends to a `rugged 'steam control valve 22 of --a itype .readily r*obtainable Aon the market 'and'which is `so conjstructed that itmay;be used -for longperiods of time without-service. The inlet of this'valve 22 'is 'connected by :piping 23 with -attting 2 4. which is/inserted'inthe steam supply pipe 20 which- Jordinarily is connected'directly with -a boiler,Y not-shown,.so as to receivesteamtherefrom.

For-heating'ofthehead I0, and also-for vaporizationof any Vcondensation products which will 'from time to time accumulate Lin the well or receptacle formed Vby `the lower interior portion of the'pipemeans represented bythe nipples I land l'It'ijand thetting I6, lwe provide -a steam vtube '26 whichmayconsist'of alength of` copper tubing Lbent-into substantially the shape shown in Figs '2, 3,.and 4, with 'the ends '21 and 28 Athereof disposed at .the 'lower lend vof the pipe Vmeans or column I`I, andwith the intermediate portion `ofv this steam tube 26 extending-up 'throughthejpipe means and into the-interior I2 lof the head I0, thatv portion 'of "the steam tube 26 which lies within 'the Lhead II) being disposed so as to have VMheat exchanging relation with Athe wall 'of the "head IU. Means 29 are provided, as shown'inFig. 2,to,close ,the lowerfend of the jpipe'meansorcolumn II around the lower'ends 21 'and ^28 of 'the steamgtube 26, lso 'that steam from the ,supply jpiping 2Iljcannot pass upwardly inside the colunm IIV around the'exterior of theV end V"portions ofjthe steam-tube 26, Vthereby 'prei venting'thepassage` o'f 'steam under pressure 'from .densed moisture, may be delivered to the fabric which lis being ironed by contact with the upper face ofthe head I0.

.As previously indicated herein, steam within ,the steam tube 26 will result in the transmission fof heat Adirectly-from the loop 30 to the walls of :the .head I 0 to heat the same. Likewise, heat radiated from the portions of the tube extending through thecolumn II will -heat the interior of the column. vDuring the use of the puiiron,'the fabric to be ironedis applied to the external face of the head I0, and as desired, the Valve 22"is operated by pressing down on the handle 40 thereof so that controlled amounts of steam will pass through the tube I1 intothe hollow column I I, to rise through the nipple Minto the interior space I2 of the head I 0, from which it will pass through ports or openings 35 to the fabric being ironed. The distance from the point .of admission 4I of this steamfrom thedischarge port 35 is -such that any condensation product carried with the steam will have ample opportunityto separate from the stean'i'beloreit` passes through the port 35. to the fabric. Such condensation may come into directV contact'with the portions ofthe steam tube 26 within the column Hand lbe immediately lvaporized, .or it may pass down into th'ewell 25 to there receive heat from the -lower portions'of the tube 26 which will vaporize 'thesame It will'be perceived,.accordirlg1y, that 'the-arrangement of partsis such that thesteam which is delivered through `the Adischarge ports the elbow A2| through the coiumn H to rhein-n terioriof 'the head ID. However, the interior of the 'steam 'tube 26 may receivesteam from the elbow 2I`-throughthe open ends thereof which fare exposed to 'direct communication with the interiorofrthe elboW'2'I.V VAccordingly, this steam `which :passes into the steam `tube 26V will heat 'the tube and heat Afrom the tube will pass to -the 'Walls rof the head -Ito heatthe Vsame to an ironing temperature. g

That "portion `of the steam tube26 which extends within `the head I 0 is formed intofa loop '360i -suchsize `that thejportions ofv thetube 26 'within theihea'd I 0 willlie in theY corner space v3| #formed by the meeting offthe edges of the upper 'and lower wall members'S'Z-and 33 ofthe head IIL VIn preferred'practice, the head I0 is maldein several parts'such as the-upper part 32 and the lower part 33, to facilitate placing of the loop 30 of the steam tube 26 therein and the meeting edges of these parts 132 and 331are'joined as,-for example, by useof solder. The loop 3U of the steam tube 26 is connected to the wall v35 forthe steaming of the .fabric is dry due to the fact `that it is carried through .a path of movement in such amanner'that condensation tis 'effectively vseparated therefrom, for example, thesupply'piping 20 andthe .steam tube26, are tubularfand accordinglypf .such .character as to safely carry the 'steampressures applied therein.

:We claimas `our invention: -1. Inra steam puif iron LAof the character described, vthe combination of: a hollowhead of heat Yconductive vmaterial having `an .opening in the lower part thereof; pipe meanscommunicating lwith'said opening and extendingdownirom said'head; va steam tube having the ends thereof disposed in the'lowerpartof .saidpipe means and the intermediate V.portion .thereof extending throughV the upper portion of said lpipe means into' said head in lheat exchanging relation .to the walls of said head; `means forclosingv the lower partof-said'pipe means around the ends ,of said steam tube so -that the openings in the ends of said steamtube will be exposed; and means for connecting the .lower part of said pipe means ,to a steam supplypipeso that the openingsinlthe ends of said steam tube will 'communicate with the interior of Ysaid steam supply pipe.

2. In a steam pui Airon ,of the .character described, the combination of: av hollow Hhead of heat conductive material `having an opening'in the lower part thereof, said hollow head having at leastone'steam'outletportltherein pipe 'means Aconnecting the lower part of said pipe means to a steam supply pipe so that the openings in the ends of said steam tube will communicate with the interior of said steam supply pipe ;V and means for feeding controlled amounts of steam into said pipe means at a point above the bottom thereof, so that such steam may pass through said head and said outlet port to the fabric being ironed.'

= ALBERT J. WEBER.

COLLIN P. MCCRACKEN. 

